Platinum PGB-12000M Makie Bikou Souryu

Platinum is my favorite pen maker. They are a little different from other manufacturers and they fill a certain niche. They don’t have fancy products like some Pilot’s models. They don’t release many special editions like Lamy. What they have is a great history (more about it here) and ability to make the best pens quality/price wise.

Platinum PGB-12000M Makie Bikou Souryu

Platinum PGB-12000M is no exception. It’s a great pen with a soul and a unique design. It’s my best writer and my favorite pen at the same time. Which isn’t as obvious as it looks. Sometimes I dislike some pens, even if they write perfectly.

It’s also an interesting pen if you dig in into details. The barrel and the nib are the same as found on the Platinum PGB-3000 (Balance). It’s acrylic resin and a stainless steel nib with gold plating. That being said, Platinum upgraded this model in 2 ways. First, they used “modern” maki-e technique to give this pen a unique design. Platinum describes it as:

Modern Maki-e is one of the technique which is done by silk screen printing,under the layer and finished by Maki-e craftsman’s hand one by one.

As you can see, my version comes with a beautiful Japanese dragon.

Second, they packed it in a special box. This pen is worth buying for the box only.

If you want a pen that stands out, this is the way to go. Sometimes I will stop writing just to take a look at this piece of art and enjoy the moment. And it’s really hard to stop writing with this pen. I own 2 medium nibs versions and both write wonderfully smooth and wet (where is that famous Platinum feedback people are talking about?).

Just remember that acrylic resin is lightweight which for some may feel a bit on the cheap side. This is noticeable even more when the pen is disassembled. In everyday use metal in the grip section adds weight and balances the pen.

I was afraid how the maki-e finish would hold up, but I am glad to report it’s durable. I have carried this pen for some time now and the dragon remains undamaged.

The cheapest Maki-e pen on the market

The best news? All of this comes at a reasonable 85 bucks. You won’t find another maki-e pen at this price. The biggest problem with Platinum PGB-12000M Makie Bikou Souryu is its availability. It might be hard to find one outside of Japan, but if you can, grab it. You won’t regret. I promise.